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22.08.2019, 23:48

The WorldSkills Championship has opened in Kazan: bread from the oven, talking robot Sofia and the whale

Dmitry Medvedev, Simon Bartley, Rustam Minnikhanov, Ilsur Metshin attended the opening ceremony.

(KZN.RU, August 22, Alina Berezhnaya). Today, the opening ceremony of the 45th WorldSkills Championship took place in Kazan. A colorful performance was held at the stadium “Kazan Arena”. During the show, bakers prepared bread right before the eyes of the audience, and the robot Sofia talked about the interaction of modern technology and men.

The ceremony was attended by Tatiana Golikova, the deputy prime minister of the RF, Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the RT, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, Simon Bartley, the WorldSkills International President, Robert Urazov, the general director of the Young Professionals Union (Worldskills Russia), and others.

The ceremony began with the carrying of the WorldSkills flag and a parade of participants in the championship. Russia is represented at the competitions by 63 young specialists, including 14 ones from Tatarstan.

The opening ceremony was a theatrical show, prepared by the creative group of Igor Krutoy, the famous composer, people's artist and honored artist of the RF, and Alexey Sechenov, a director. The performance was dedicated to the history of the formation of professionals. One of the biggest performances was a dance in which artists turned into specialists in working professions: builders, bakers, seamstresses, electricians, car mechanics, and others. They were accompanied by performances of Russian pop stars Elka, Alexander Panayotov, Yang Ge, the indie band “Therr Maitz” and “Jukebox Trio”.

Viewers also heard stories of people who have achieved success in their profession. For example, Ekaterina Bereziy, the director of an exoskeleton manufacturing company, spoke about her career path.

The most unusual guest of the ceremony was the robot Sofia, a smart machine talked about the relationship between the robot and humans.

The audience not only watched what was happening on the stage, but also took an active part in the performance. Before the ceremony, each guest received a remote control, with which he could answer philosophical questions related to the profession, vocation and self-improvement.

Kazan residents and city guests who came to the stadium saw a high-tech show with special effects. In the middle of the stage, a giant inverted pyramid was installed, which revealed during the performance. Volumetric triangles rose on the stage, on which holograms drawn by VR artists were projected live.

Spectators could create the scenery, the show used augmented reality technology. Using a special application, 3D effects appeared in the virtual space of the stadium: a “flying” whale, rose petals, and the scene temporarily turned into a cupcake.

Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, wished success in the competition for young professionals at the opening ceremony. He noted that for the first time, Russia is hosting the WorldSkills Championship, which brought energy to create a modern education to the country and interest in working professions. “WorldSkills has long become much more than just a youth competition, in fact, this is the championship of the future. Here people from different countries, different cultures can work together, compete and communicate, of course. This is a future with a place for creativity and discoveries, for friendship and new victories. Here you can get the main skill for a person of the XXI century: the habit of learning to find a profession to your liking and become a real master”, said D. Medvedev.

Simon Bartley, the WorldSkills International President, thanked everyone who participated in the organization of the competition. “You need to show your best and at the same time compete honestly and fairly”, said Simon Bartley, addressing the contestants. “You will return home from Kazan with raised head and hearts filled with pride for the fact that each of you has already become a champion. Feel every second of this event!”

Photo report

Days of WorldSkills Kazan 2019